


Little Horns Pointing Up

by Redribbonhood



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 17:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14675730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redribbonhood/pseuds/Redribbonhood
Summary: Inquisitor Trevelyan finds out she is with child but is unsure how to tell The Iron Bull.  She asks a band of eccentric mercenaries for help. The Chargers hatch a bold plan.





	Little Horns Pointing Up

 The first mistake was telling Stitches while he was having drinks with the rest of the Chargers. The surgeon burst both his ale and her secret from his mouth in one choke followed by several coughs. Luckily, Bull had been in a meeting with Cullen about reinforcing battlements, but the rest of his team now knew the news. That’s when things began to get out of hand.

 **“Are you sure?”**  the field surgeon asks, ogling at the bump under her loose nightshirt as she lifts open her cloak.

 **“Can I pet the baby bull!?!”**  cries Dalish eagerly, rushing forward and reaching out her hand, eyes shining.

 **“Yes, I’ve…missed my bleeding for 4 months now. And.. I’m nauseous _all the time_..”**  Lady Trevelyan admits quietly, her cheeks reddening as she allows the mage and the medic to touch her stomach.

 **“He kicked me!”**  the blonde elf exclaims in delight, and Skinner sitting nearby grunts with approval. The belicose elf seems pleased to have another fighter in the making and she too stands to go feel for herself. After the rest of the Chargers, even Grim who surprisingly actually smiles a little bit, has taken their turn curiously patting their boss' swelling tummy, they begin to formulate their next course of action in hushed whispers. Stitches expresses concern at the size of her stomach at only 4 months and admits he has never helped deliver a Qunari baby, let alone a half-blood but will do his best to help however he can. Rocky begins moving all the mugs of ale away, glancing protectively at the baby bump.

 **“I’m just surprised you’ve managed to keep it a secret this long,”**  Krem says after a while, still looking thoroughly shocked. Trevelyan sighs and admits she’s had Harrit make new armor for her every couple of weeks now, half-lying to the smith that she’d been stress eating and gaining weight quickly. She also explains how Blackwall, Dorian, and Cole have known since three weeks ago. They’d all been in the Hinterlands when Cole had blurted out her thoughts while she had been trying not to vomit. She’d sworn them to silence and had been choosing them to accompany her on most missions since.

 Blackwall had become incredibly agitated and extra protective, ordering her to stand at least 30 feet behind him and the enemy at all times. He has become quite literally a Walking Fortress. Dorian was doing nightly research in his library while sending secret messages to his contacts abroad about acquiring more books that might help. Cole was doing his very best to keep his mouth shut. The hardest part, she admits, was denying Bull from her bed and avoiding close contact with him. Though he never pressured her for an explanation, she could tell he was beginning to grow concerned about her behavior.

 **“I have to tell him soon,”**  the Inquisitor sighs, running a hand through her hair.  **“I just don’t know how,”**

 The second mistake was asking a band of eccentric mercenaries for help with this. They hatch a bold plan. When she tells her team, Blackwall immediately protests ( **“M’lady, no. I’m stressed out enough already worrying about you and the baby fighting _normal_ enemies! I’m not going to let you do this very dangerous and crazy plan!”**) but of course comes to protect her anyways. Dorian sighs and goes to retrieve his ice staff and his fireproof robes ( **“You’ve clearly already made up your mind, my absurd friend,”** ) and Cole agrees immediately ( **“Desperate, emotional.. you want to find the best way to say it… This is so, so important to you…”** ).

 They’re going to steal a dragon egg and give it to Bull- a symbolic message, the Chargers insist. Krem adds they’ll all go with her to keep her and “Baby Bull” safe.

  It’s a crazy plan but somehow they manage to leave the Western Approach with only minimal burns and zero casualties. And: one Abyssal High Dragon egg, cradled safely in Trevelyan’s arms. While maintaining barrier, Dorian had used his last minute studies to identify the cold egg of the clutch, the one that would never hatch. It was meant to be a symbolic gift after all, not a very bad future pet. Cassandra the Dragonslayer would literally kill them all and then the dragon if she found it had actually hatched. They were all in mutual agreement they’d probably deserve it.

  The third mistake was inviting Bull up into her room with no context. They almost make it to her door but her clothes were nearly off by the time he was kissing her breathless in the hallway. She struggles to regain control and comes to her senses only when his large hands started to wander. She immediately jolts in alarm, and he, of course, allows her to remove his hands from her. Her lover was all about consent and she loved him all the more for his deep respect of her.

 **“Is there something wrong, Kadan?”** Bull asks, concern in his eyes and voice. She assures him that she has only good news and leads him into her room. The dragon’s egg sits in the center of her bed and she sits herself at the bed’s edge. Trevelyan gestures to it, smiling a little self consciously as she adjusts her large sleeping tunic.

 **“Uh….you’re going to have to explain this one to me, Boss,”**  Bull says after a few moments of trying to figure this all out. He sits on the bed beside her, the mattress groaning as usual under his size. He takes the egg in his hands looking impressed but very confused. Trevelyan sighs and unwelcome tears start to sting from behind her eyes. She blames the ever present surges of hormones that have recently been plaguing her and takes one of his large hands in hers.

 **“I’m sorry for all the secrecy, Bull,”**  she says looking up into his eye. He studies her, patiently, and she knows he will wait lifetimes if she asked him to. Which makes this harder. She’d wanted this to be perfect, but now she just wishes she’d told him right away.  **“I just..I didn’t know how you’d feel about… this,”**

 She guides his hand under her tunic and over her rounding abdomen, her eyes never leaving his face. She lets his hand rest there until he feels a small kick and feels him immediately tense up. She concentrates on trying to read his conflicting face. He looks both shocked, exhilarated, horrified and…she can’t quite identify what else. Not angry but..clearly distressed.

 **“Bull..?”**  she speaks his name tentatively after a long silence has passed.

 The tal-vashoth can’t bring himself to speak. He only stares at his hand on his love’s stomach with a fear reserved for demons. The signs..he’d noticed them- of course he’d noticed them, discernment had been his whole life until he met her- but he’d forced himself to believe it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. The chances of his race being able to breed with others was near to none. Not unheard of, he’d known one Ben-Hassrath who was half-elf but… not allowed. The Ben-Hassrath agent’s life had been more of  an experiment than anything, a one time thing all overseen by the Tamassran with the permission of the Ariqun. This…this wasn’t- The Iron Bull shakes his head and has to remind himself he is not Qunari anymore. Still, the old ways die hard. He already had assassins possibly still after him, if they ever found out he had a child…a thousand training exercises wouldn’t be able to erase the fear these thoughts were bringing up.

**“I..I’m sorry,”**

 He is snapped out of his storm of thoughts by the sound of her voice. His favorite sound. His face softens and the look on hers damn near breaks his heart.

 **“I didn’t think- I thought… I thought you might be happy about this,”**  the inquisitor finishes quietly, lowering her eyes. It’s too much. He takes her small face in his hands and gently presses his forehead to hers, whispering softly to her, reassuring her of his devotion. His Kadan, his heart. The human that owned his sword, his body, his soul… And now possibly his child. In her soft, human form. A new fear, worse than all hitherto seizes him violently.

 **“I can’t lose you, Kadan,”**  he breathes shakily, closing his good eye. **“I’m not..I’m not strong enough. You don’t have to keep it-”**

 _ **“Katoh,”**_  Trevelyan interrupts sharply, taking one of his from her face. She holds eye contact as she kisses his knuckles tenderly. “ **You won’t lose me. Dorian and Stitches have been looking into this. It’s possible. It’s not entirely safe but we’re taking every precaution. I can do this, Bull. I know I don’t have to- but… I want to. I’ve never wanted to be my family’s Lady legacy, or the Inquisitor, or the Herald. Please, let me choose something for once- for me.”**

 Iron Bull is silent for a while. Considering. It wasn’t like he didn’t like kids… he actually liked them a great deal, and they liked him. Back when he was Ashkaari he would act as a secondary caregiver for his fellow children. He just never thought it possible for him. That one day he would hold a small life in his hands who would grow to call him… “dad”. The idea both warms and chills him. He has sired imekari before, of course. After his eight years of exemplary service in Seheron the Tamarassan had breeded him several times- his Kadan knew this, there were no secrets between them now- but, this was different. This was..personal. A concept he’d never known. Bull finally gathers her in his arms, gentle and careful of her stomach, and holds her to the center of his chest.

 **“It wouldn’t have been possible for the man I was before… but I’m better for having met you, Kadan,”** he says quietly.  **“If you want this, and you want me with you on this, then..I’m your man.”**

 The next few months are a rush of Bull refusing to leave her side. He literally picks her up and carries her up and down every flight of stairs (whether she wants his help or not), and always away from any unnecessary dangers. Even his desire to fight dragons is overpowered by his love for the mother of his future child. The Chargers are constantly running around Skyhold trying to baby-proof everything; Trevelyan eventually has to draw the line when her guardsmen complain that every single weapon in the armory has been wrapped in padding. Still, she is grateful for the big family her baby will have and nearly cries when she holds the gift the Chargers had crafted: a tiny horned, leather helmet with the engraving:

 **“Horns pointing up,”**  Bull reads from over her shoulder. He smiles warmly before kissing the top of her head.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you like ^_^
> 
> Written for a request for the prompt the "how she tells him she's pregnant" talk ft. Iron Bull x Trevelyan.


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